


don't make a noise, don't leave the room.

by QuietLittleVoices



Series: The Other Side [6]
Category: King Falls AM (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - The X Files, Angst and Fluff, Episode: s06e08 How the Ghosts Stole Christmas, Ghost Hunting, M/M, Romance, X Files Canon Typical Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-14
Updated: 2018-08-14
Packaged: 2019-06-27 12:16:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15685257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuietLittleVoices/pseuds/QuietLittleVoices
Summary: “I can’t believe you’re having us do a stakeout on Christmas eve,” Sammy muttered, crossing his arms and slumping back into the passenger seat.Jack rolled his eyes affectionately and leaned over into Sammy’s space. “Where else would you be right now? I’m here.”





	don't make a noise, don't leave the room.

**Author's Note:**

> This is basically a rewrite of How the Ghosts Stole Christmas... no viewing of the episode required but if you are familiar with the episode don't drag me for how much of a rewrite this is.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Also: This takes place during the prequel fic, 'the wrong end of a very long tunnel', so it's "pre" the main fics and pre getting Jack back again. He hasn't gone to the Void yet here.

“I can’t believe you’re having us do a stakeout on Christmas eve,” Sammy muttered, crossing his arms and slumping back into the passenger seat. 

Jack rolled his eyes affectionately and leaned over into Sammy’s space. “Where else would you be right now? I’m here.”

Sammy sighed and reached out to cup the back of Jack’s head, pulling him the last couple inches towards him. “Well, there was Lily’s party…” he trailed off, eyes already closing as he could feel Jack’s breath on his face. 

Jack laughed quietly. “Really? Lily’s work party? With all her journalist friends?”

Sammy didn’t reply, closing the distance instead to finally kiss Jack. Predictably, Jack responded with enthusiasm, and Sammy pushed forwards so they met in the middle of the car and Jack wouldn’t strain his back. He pulled away and Jack tried to lean back into his space, but Sammy put his hand on Jack’s chest.

“Are you  _ sure _ you don’t want to go home?” Sammy asked, trying to pitch his voice lower.

Jack just laughed affectionately. “You make a compelling point,” he said, “but you don’t even know what we’re waiting for.”

Sammy moved completely back to his seat and Jack did the same with visible reluctance. “Ok, tell me. Who lives here?”

Jack’s eyes lit up and Sammy tried not to find it endearing. “No one,” he answered.

Sammy sighed. “Then why are we here?” 

“We’re staking out the  _ former _ occupants.” Jack was getting excited and animated, almost vibrating with the details he wasn’t saying. Sammy had to fight back a smile - he loved seeing Jack so enthusiastic, but he wouldn’t admit it.

“Do I want to know what that means?” Sammy asked reluctantly, and Jack just grinned.

“They’ve come back.” Jack was aiming for mysterious but was too excited by his own attempts at intrigue to pull it off.

Sammy stared at him. “Are you telling me that you brought me out here, on Christmas Eve, to go ghost hunting with you? This is the foot you wanna start on for our first Christmas living together?”

“Technically they’re apparitions,” Jack corrected quickly, before immediately looking sheepish and apologetic. “Are you really mad?”

Sammy sighed and leaned forwards again, pressing a quick kiss to Jack’s lips and putting his hand on the back of Jack’s head again. “A little bit,” he admitted. “Is this really the only night we could do this?”

Jack let out a relieved breath. “Yeah. It’s - it only happens once a year.”

The moment of upset already forgotten, Jack was starting to get excited again, so Sammy gave him the space he needed to launch into the story. “Okay. Explain it to me.”

“Christmas, 1944,” Jack began, spreading his hands out like he was commanding an audience. “It was a time of despair. Soldiers were dying rapidly in Europe, while families at home continued to wait for news and mourn for those they lost. Tragedy visited every doorstep, but here at 1501 Larkspur Lane, a pair of star-crossed lovers met tragedy not through war, but their own hand. They forged a lover’s pact to never spend another Christmas apart.”

Sammy furrowed his eyebrows. “They killed themselves?”

Jack nodded. “And every Christmas Eve, their ghosts return to haunt this house.” Sammy took a deep breath and let out a low laugh, but Jack wasn’t really paying attention to him. “I just gave myself chills.”

“You’re a good storyteller, Jack, but I’m not sure I buy it,” Sammy admitted.

Jack looked a bit put out. “I haven’t even told you about  _ them _ yet, just the context.”

Sammy made a  _ go on _ gesture and Jack resumed his storyteller pose.

“His name was Herschel,” he continued, “and he was a brooding but heroic young man - he entered the army at sixteen to fight but received a general discharge at eighteen, when he returned home to his beloved. Enter Edna, a sublime beauty with a light that followed her everywhere and who Herschel would have, reportedly, done anything for.”

Sammy started to nod but then Jack started to open the car door, so Sammy quickly grabbed him by the sleeve. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Jack looked at him like the answer was obvious. “I’m gonna go check it out.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Sammy argued and Jack got a teasing glint in his eye.

“Are you telling me you believe there’s ghosts in there?” he asked, twisting his arm around to break Sammy’s grip and then taking his hand. “Are you, Sammy Stevens, avowed skeptic, afraid of a ghost story?”

Sammy scowled and let go of Jack’s hand, getting out of the car himself. “Let’s do this, then.”

Jack hopped out of the car with a grin and lead the way up the stone path to the large doors. “We’ll just look around, and if we don’t see anything we’ll head right back home and be back before Santa comes.”

Sammy rolled his eyes and opened the doors. “Whatever you say, but I know you won’t be satisfied until we comb every inch of this place.”

“I’ll make it up to you,” Jack replied with a grin as Sammy opened the door for him and dramatically waved him in. “Thank you.”

Sammy followed Jack into the house and immediately they could hear a knocking noise coming from above them. They met each other’s eyes just as the clock began to chime eleven times and Sammy couldn’t help but shiver at the stiff breeze coming in through the door.

“That’s a cold wind,” Jack said.

Sammy pressed his lips together in a thin line. “It’s December. The weather report said there’s a high chance of rain, maybe even a white Christmas. Not that we’ll get to see it…” he trailed off pointedly.

“We can go home right now if you want,” Jack offered, but as he said it the doors slammed close and Sammy jumped.

Immediately Sammy went to grab the handles but they wouldn’t budge.

“I think we’re not alone anymore,” Jack observed from behind him.

Sammy glared at him over his shoulder. “Are you gonna help me?”

Jack walked over and grabbed the opposite handle to Sammy and they both tried to pull the doors open together, but it didn’t work. “It looks like they’re stuck for now,” Jack said, and Sammy sighed, turning around and sitting down with his back to the door.

The knocking restarted above them and Sammy jumped to his feet. “What the fuck is that?”

“Are you afraid?” Jack asked with a slight smile.

“I’m not afraid of  _ ghosts _ .” Sammy crossed his arms for a brief second before realizing how petulant he looked and shoving them in his pockets.

Jack walked over and looped his arm around Sammy’s shoulders. “It’s okay, I’ll protect you.”

There was a sound of chains rattling above them and Sammy felt his whole body go tense.

“I think we should check that out,” Jack suggested, moving away from Sammy and towards the stairs.

Sammy didn’t move right away and suddenly lightning flashed, filling the whole room with bright white light for a split second. Sammy could have sworn that in that moment he saw the silhouette of a person across the room, next to the window, but it was gone as soon as he noticed it and he ran to follow Jack.

Jack was stopped at the top of the stairs and he put his hand out to stop Sammy as well. “What was that?” he asked quietly.

Abruptly, the knocking stopped, and Jack started to move slowly through the second floor.

“This is all just mind tricks and horror movie cliches,” Sammy muttered, following Jack. “We hear sounds and get a chill, see shadows and imagine monsters.” Jack tried a door off the hallway and found it locked. “It’s all easy to just ignore if you’re rational - a ghost wouldn’t just show up for no reason other than to say hi, that’s ridiculous. Anyway, ghosts are always in messy outfits with outdated hair, they’re never trying to get better - it says more about us than them!”

Jack tried another door, and again it was locked. “Sure.”

“It doesn’t take a degree in psychology to understand people wanting immortality, or hope that there’s an afterlife,” Sammy added as Jack tried another locked door. “People want to think that we won’t have to spend time away from the people we love - it’s a powerful need.”

A door creaked behind them and they both spun around to see one of the previously locked doors swinging in on itself. Jack reached back and grabbed Sammy’s sleeve.

“Scared, yet?” he asked breathlessly.

“It’s not rational,” Sammy replied, and Jack looked back at him with an uneasy smile.

Slowly, they started to walk towards the door together. Sammy stepped in front and pushed the door open a little farther, peeking in to see an apparently empty two-story library. He pushed the door open all the way and saw that the furniture was covered in white cloth, and music was playing softly. The chandelier lights were all on.

“Must’ve been a surge,” Jack suggested, looking up.

Sammy frowned. “The clock downstairs was keeping time earlier, before the lightning strike,” he pointed out. “Maybe someone’s been living here.”

Jack shook his head. “Not legally. The bank foreclosed on the property and hasn’t been able to sell it to any person or developer since - I called and asked about it.”

“What about that?” Sammy asked, pointing to the smouldering fireplace. 

“That… does look like the work of a person,” Jack admitted. “But why would anyone live in a cursed house?”

Sammy gave him a stern look. “You would. Also - cursed? I thought it was haunted.”

Jack looked like he wanted to protest but couldn’t deny it. He settled on looking sheepish. “I may have neglected to mention that every couple that’s ever lived here has died in a murder-suicide on Christmas. Three in the last seventy years.”

“You could have said that earlier,” Sammy muttered, entering the library completely and climbing down the ladder into the first level. 

Jack followed him, and as soon as they were both on the ground they heard the sound of a door slamming and then something thumping. The floorboards below them started to creak so Jack pushed the couch out of the way and dropped to the ground, pressing his ear against the floor.

“You’re gonna get all dirty,” Sammy cautioned him, but Jack wasn’t paying attention.

The doors on the second floor started to rattle in their frames. Sammy looked up and noticed that the ladder they’d descended was now gone. “Jack,” he said, trying to keep the worry from seeping into his tone. When he turned around, Jack was holding his flashlight under his chin and Sammy jumped. “Don’t fucking do that.”

Jack just laughed. “I think there’s a hiding spot under here.” He indicated the space under where the couch had been. “There might be someone trapped under there.”

“You aren’t opening it,” Sammy said sternly. 

Jack raised an eyebrow at him. “We both have guns. C’mon, this is far from the most dangerous situation we’ve ever been in.”

Sammy crossed his arms. “Speak for yourself.”

“Remember the bear you faced down in March?” Jack pointed his flashlight at Sammy, who put up a hand to try and block it.

“Sure, whatever. Open it up, but I’m staying over here.” Sammy took a step back and crossed his arms, but as soon as Jack’s back was turned to start pulling up the floorboards he put his hand on his gun - just in case.

Jack pulled up the floorboards with little effort, revealing a nearly mummified body of a man. He looked over at Sammy to make sure he was watching and kept pulling up boards, revealing a second body in the same state.

Sammy approached the hole and shined his flashlight in, illuminating what appeared to be a bullet wound in the stomach of the man on the left and the chest of the man on the right. “Huh,” he said lamely. “I think they’re wearing our clothes.” He indicated the tie of the body on the right and then Jack’s own tie.

Jack looked at him, eyes wide, and without warning grabbed the sleeve of Sammy’s jacket and took off running. It was all Sammy could do to keep up as Jack threw open the door to the library -

and they stumbled back in, on the opposite side of it.

“What the fuck?” Jack asked no one in particular.

Sammy shifted so that he had Jack’s hand in his and they both walked slowly across the room, keeping their eye on the bodies in the hole to avoid it.  “Let’s try again,” Sammy suggested. “Slowly.”

They pushed open the door and kept their eyes open as they walked through, but again they entered the library.

Jack dropped Sammy’s hand. “I think I’m getting this,” he said. “If I go in there, I’ll come out here.”

“Yeah, I’m beginning to see that,” Sammy agreed.

Jack bit his lip and looked across the room at the open door that appeared to lead out into the hallway, same as the one behind them. “I’m gonna try something,” he said finally. “Wait here.” He didn’t give Sammy a moment to protest before he was striding across the room and walking out of the library. 

Sammy waited before he started to get anxious. “Jack?” he called.

“Sammy?” he heard distantly.

The doors all slammed shut.

 

Jack didn’t hesitate before he ripped the door open and ran through, leaving it swinging on its hinges, but when he re-entered the library again he was alone. Now, however, the door he’d just crossed through was locked. He started to pound on it. “Sammy!” he called. “Sammy, can you hear me?”

No one answered, so Jack stepped back and shot the lock off the door. He opened it easily now, but behind it was just brick.

“Who the fuck are you?” asked a voice from behind him.

Jack turned around to see an old man standing in the room. He was older than the photos that Jack had seen but he could almost swear that it was the young man, Herschel. “Who are  _ you _ ?” he returned.

The man, presumably Herschel, scowled. “This is my house. You aren’t tryin’ to burgle me, are you?”

Jack hesitated for a second. “No,” he answered finally.

“Get on out, then,” Herschel said, indicating the door.

Jack scoffed. “Funny. You  _ know _ it’s bricked up.”

“Sure. Just walked through it myself.” He looked past Jack and noticed the damaged lock. “You gonna pay for that?”

Jack ignored him. “You’re playing tricks on us. You have since we arrived, haven’t you?”

Herschel opened his hands. “Don’t have patience for tricks.”

“Isn’t that  _ all _ you have time for?” Jack asked pointedly.

He chuckled. “You one of ‘em ghost hunters, aren’t you? Gun fooled me - lots of folks wanna take a look around here, but you’re the first to come armed and ready. Think I’m a ghost?”

“Like the people under the floorboards.” Jack shined his light in that direction, but found the floor untouched. “How’d you do that?”

“Do what?” he asked. “Take a seat, son.”

Jack walked over and realized for the first time that the furniture was no longer covered in white sheets. He sat on the couch, dropping his head to his hands. He needed to focus, to figure out how he could make Herschel help him get back to Sammy.

“Now, I don’t got time for that ‘psychology’ nonsense,” Herschel said, “but I’ve met a few men like you in my years.”

“Men like me?” Jack asked, turning his head but not fully lifting it.

“You’re a bit full of yourself, aren’t you?” Herschel said, but it wasn’t really a question. “Self-important or whatever. Want everyone to believe you.”

Jack sat up now. “Doesn’t everyone want that?”

“Not like you.” Herschel leaned back and looked at Jack steadily. “Let me guess - workaholic, anti-social, and obsessive.”

“What?” Jack was confused.

Herschel smiled but it wasn’t friendly. “Three words most people use to describe you.”

“I’m not listening to this,” Jack announced, pushing himself up and walking towards the door before remembering it was bricked up. He turned around and sat back down.

“You’re gonna have a total wacko breakdown if you don’t fix that shit up,” Herschel informed him.

Jack crossed his arms but didn’t reply.

“Waving a gun around my house, raving about a brick wall,” Herschel continued, “I’d say it’s already started. Why do you see that?”

Jack looked at him, eyebrows furrowed. “Because I see it? It’s right there, in front of me.”

Herschel shook his head. “You’re lonely. You think you’re passionate and serious, and mostly misunderstood, but you’re just lonely.”

“I’m not lonely,” Jack objected. “I came here with my - with my partner. I have to get back to him - he’s somewhere in here.”

“Behind a brick wall?” Herschel asked, raising an eyebrow. He stood up and walked over to the now-clear doorway and stepped through. “Sure it isn’t up here?” he asked, pointing to his head.

Jack pressed his lips together. “I just want to find him.”

“Easy,” Herschel said, and he turned around and left.

Jack walked over the door, keeping his eyes trained to it so that he could see through the other side.

And then he hit the brick wall again, and he was alone in the library.

 

Sammy backed up from the door a few paces and drew his gun before turning around, and had to keep himself from startling at the sight of an old woman now in the room.

The woman screamed and held up her hands. “Who are you?” she asked.

“I’m - I’m Special Agent Sammy Stevens.” He fumbled for his ID and pulled it out, showing it to her.

The woman put her hand to her chest. “Goodness. I thought you were a ghost.”

Sammy shook his head. “I’m just stuck,” he said. “I’m looking for my - my partner.”

She smiled knowingly. “The handsome one? I saw you both in the foyer. I sleepwalk, thought I’d dreamed it, but -” she gestured to Sammy.

“We didn’t mean to scare you,” Sammy said, in an attempt at reassuring. “But we found bodies…” he trailed off as he skimmed his flashlight along the floor and found it in tact.

“You might not be a ghost, but you look like you’ve seen one,” the woman chuckled.

Sammy shook his head quickly. “I don’t believe in them.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Then why are you here? It’s a haunted house.  _ My _ haunted house.”

“My partner, he - he brought us here,” Sammy explained, though he wasn’t sure why he was telling this woman anything.

She tutted. “Spending your Christmas even chasing things you don’t even believe? That’s sad, dear. Don’t you think he’ll get bored of you following him everywhere?”

“What?” Sammy took a step towards her.

“You’re repressing the truth,” she continued, unphased. “Unable to admit your dirty little secret.”

“You don’t know me,” Sammy replied angrily. “You don’t even live here, do you?”

She raised her eyebrows. “You’re sure treating me like it isn’t, but my taxes say otherwise.”

“Why is everything covered, then?” he asked. “Where’s the Christmas tree?”

“We’re Jewish, and the house is being painted,” she replied, crossing her arms. “Boo.”

Sammy turned around in time to see an old man enter the room. “Who are you?” he asked, keeping his gun down but still in his hand. 

The man looked at the gun and then at the woman. “Geeze,” he muttered. “We’re really bringin’ them in tonight.”

“Where’s Jack?” Sammy asked.

“That’s his name?” the man replied. “He’ll be along.”

Sammy looked between them and raised his gun to point at the man. “I don’t think I trust either of you right now,” he said. “I’m gonna have to ask you to step over there.” He gestured towards the fireplace. “Put your hands up.”

The woman sighed and raised her arms, and suddenly Sammy could see a hole clean through her stomach. He looked over at the man who had his hands up as well, but reached down to take off his hat and reveal and hole in his head.

Sammy looked through, seeing the door on the other side of the man’s head, and fainted.

 

Jack grabbed hold of the walkway floor above him and started to lift himself up. He struggled for a minute before managing to pull his chest up, and then he swung his legs after him. He stood up in front of an older woman who he hadn’t seen before.

“Are you Agent Wright?” she asked.

He nodded, taking a step away from her. “Yes. And who are you?”

She didn’t answer walking to the edge of the walkway to look down. “What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to get out,” Jack answered.

She shook her head. “You can’t get out this way.”

Jack stared at her for a moment before reaching forward hesitantly and touching her shoulder, which was solid. He nodded to himself and turned around, opening the door and finding another brick wall. He sighed and turned back towards her. “You’re a ghost, aren’t you?”

“I don’t appreciate name calling,” she replied, crossing her arms. She turned away from him and went down the ladder, which had reappeared.

Jack hesitated and then scrambled down after her before it could disappear again. “What happened to - to the couple that first lived here?” he asked. “The star-crossed lovers?”

She rolled her eyes and walked over to the bookshelf. “The romance is the first to go.”

Jack paused. “You’re Edna. So that  _ was  _ Herschel. But - you’re both old, now.”

She glared over her shoulder at him. “Hope your partner finds you more charming than I do. Here -” she grabbed a book of the shelf and walked over to him. 

When she approached, he could see that it was actually a photo album. She flipped it open to a picture that more closely resembled the one Jack had seen of them during his research. “Look how young and beautiful we were - so in love,” she sighed, shutting the album. “I assume you came here with… certain ideas.”

“About what?” he asked. “Honestly, I was just looking for you.”

She looked at him incredulously. “Not to be together for eternity?”

Jack willed the blush out of his face. “No - no, nothing like that.”

“Then is it because you’re both filled with those classic Christmas Blues?” she asked.

“What? No,” he said again.

Edna hummed. “Maybe it was your  _ partner _ then.”

Jack backed up, feeling like he was being put on the defensive. “What about him?”

She shrugged. “You knew this place was haunted. I just think  _ maybe _ you two should have discussed your… real feelings before this.”

“That isn’t - what do you  _ mean _ ?” he asked. He thought he might know what she was getting at, but he couldn’t be sure. “We don’t have secrets.”

“Everyone has secrets,” she pointed out. “A murder-suicide is about trust, you know.”

“I thought you two made a - a lover’s pact,” Jack said questioningly. 

She laughed, high and tinkling like shattered glass hitting the floor. “The outcome is always the same, dear.” She unfolded her hands, revealing the hole in her stomach.

Jack blinked. “Oh. But - Sammy isn’t gonna shoot me.”

“Well, if you shoot first, then it’s just an act of faith for him,” she pointed out.

“I wouldn’t, I - I couldn’t, I would never,” Jack stuttered. “I could never hurt him.”

She shrugged. “What if he shoots himself?”

“I’d stop him,” Jack answered confidently. “I wouldn’t let that happen.”

“But you won’t always be there,” she pointed out. Jack froze but Edna kept talking. “Think of this as the last Christmas you’ll spend in uncertainty.” She held a gun towards him and when Jack looked at his holster he found it empty.

In the blink of an eye, Edna disappeared, and the gun dropped into Jack’s hand.

 

Sammy opened his eyes and stood up slowly, bracing the hand still holding his gun over the other, shining his flashlight around the room.

He walked over to the door and tried it but it was locked.

“Serves you right,” said a voice from behind him, and Sammy turned around to see the old man.

“Stay away,” Sammy cautioned. “I want to get out, and you want me out. Why can’t we just agree here?”

The man tilted his head. “I don’t think you know what I want.”

“I  _ will _ shoot,” Sammy said.

“Good. You might need to defend yourself, after all,” he replied matter-of-factually.

Sammy sighed in frustration. “Against  _ what _ ?”

“Your crazy partner,” he answered. “He’s been running around the house all night, waving his gun around.”

“What have you done to him?” Sammy asked, taking a few slow steps forwards.

“Nothing. Do you know why he brought you here?” The man stood up and Sammy felt himself back away reflexively.

Sammy laughed nervously. “This is all in my head, it doesn’t matter. I fell asleep in the car!”

Someone started to pound on the door behind him. “Sammy!” said Jack’s voice, but it sounded - different. Off, somehow, in a way that Sammy couldn’t place. “Sammy, open up!”

Sammy turned quickly and started to head towards the door, but the way was blocked by the old man. “Think twice about this. He’s deranged, he’s been yelling about a lover’s pact all night.”

“It’s  _ Jack _ ,” Sammy said, like that answered the unspoken question. “Open the door.”

The man shrugged. “If you say so.” He turned to unlock the door and Jack rushed in, a wild look in his eyes. Immediately, he raised his gun and fired just past Sammy’s head.

“Jack!” he yelled. “What are you doing?”

“We’re trapped here,” Jack answered, voice strained and desperate. “We can’t get out.” He fired again and a mirror shattered behind Sammy. He started to approach and Sammy put his hands up.

“You’re scaring me,” he said slowly. “Jack, stop it. Please - you aren’t gonna shoot me.”

Jack laughed but it was choked. “One of us is.”

Sammy shook his head, putting his hands up like he was dealing with a wild animal. “We don’t have to. We can just turn around and go home - please, Jack, can we please go home?”

It felt like time slowed down as Sammy watched Jack lower the angle of his gun, no longer aiming near Sammy’s head, and he couldn’t do anything as he watched Jack pull the trigger. He looked down and saw blood spreading on his dress shirt and immediately fell to his knees.

“I didn’t think you’d do it,” he said, mostly to himself.

Jack raised the gun to his own head and Sammy wanted to stop him but he couldn’t move, and then - then it wasn’t Jack, it was the woman from earlier.

 

Jack rushed into the library and saw Sammy on the ground, clutching his stomach. “Sammy!” he called, and rushed over, immediately taking Sammy’s head and cradling it in his lap.

“Jack?” Sammy asked weakly. “Is that you? I didn’t -” he coughed and Jack smoothed his hair back.

Jack hummed quietly, trying to comfort Sammy and not fly apart at his seams. “It’s okay, it’s okay - it’s gonna be okay, I promise.”

“I didn’t think you’d do it,” Sammy said.

Jack felt something press against his chest, and when he looked down he saw that it was Sammy’s gun. Jack didn’t move. “What are you doing?” he asked.

Sammy smiled and closed his eyes. “Merry Christmas,” he said, but when Jack blinked he wasn’t holding Sammy anymore. 

Edna was lying with a gun to his chest, and before he could react she fired.

 

Jack stumbled down the stairs and found Sammy laying on the ground in the foyer, a trail of blood behind him. “Sammy?” he asked.

Sammy groaned and rolled over, and Jack could see that he was covered in blood. Jack couldn’t even tell where it started from. “Jack? I don’t think I’m gonna make it.”

Jack knelt down next to Sammy, not letting himself collapse despite the pain. “No - no, no, you are. It’s gonna be okay.”

“No, Jack -” Sammy closed his eyes and breathed heavily. “Jack,” he repeated. “I love you.”

“Don’t say that, don’t - you can tell me later,” Jack begged. “Tell me at home.”

Sammy shook his head. “Won’t have time. I  _ need _ you to know - I love you, and I’m happy to be with you. Even if it means ghosts on Christmas.” He smiled weakly and Jack couldn’t help but smile back even though he felt himself about to lose it. “I thought - when I thought you were there, that you were going to kill me, I knew. I’d let you, and that’s - that’s pretty awful, huh?” He coughed. “I just… I don’t want you think I’d regret you. Because I don’t - I couldn’t. And I’m sorry this is happening.”

Jack looked down at Sammy’s stomach and blinked and for a second - “Stand up,” he said.

Sammy squinted his eyes at him. “I can’t feel my legs. Don’t - don’t do this.”

“No, no - stand up, Sammy,” Jack said, reaching down and grabbing Sammy’s shoulder despite Sammy’s wince. “It’s not  _ real _ . You were right - it’s not real.” He pulled down his shirt and his suspicions were confirmed - the shirt was bloody, but his chest was intact. He reached down and pushed up Sammy’s shirt to show him that there was no wound. 

Sammy looked down in disbelief, and then up at Jack. 

Without wasting another second, Jack pulled them both to their feet and they pushed open the front door together easily.

 

Sammy crawled into bed with Jack, immediately going over to his side and wrapping his arms around him. “I meant what I said earlier,” he said quietly.

Jack twisted and kissed the top of his head. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. I love you so much, and I just -” he sighed, half-hiding his face in Jack’s shoulder. “I don’t want you to get bored with me,” he admitted. “Or think that I just - follow along with you and hate it.”

“I would never get bored with you,” Jack replied, running his fingers through Sammy’s hair. “I love you, too, you know. I - I do worry that you’ll resent me for…” he trailed off and made a vague gesture with his free hand. 

Sammy shook his head. “I have fun, following you - I’d follow you anywhere, Jack. Just ask.”

Jack licked his lips. “What if one day I go somewhere you  _ can’t _ follow?”

Sammy laughed and dug his fingers into Jack’s stomach. “Don’t reference Lord of the Rings when we’re having a moment, you doof.” 

Jack laughed, pushing Sammy’s fingers away, and then Sammy tilted his head up so Jack leaned down to kiss him obligingly. “You can take the nerd out of the Shire -”

“I’m trying to be romantic!” Sammy protested. “See if I try that again.”

Jack rolled his eyes and leaned down to kiss Sammy again. “You love me too much to not,” he said against Sammy’s mouth, and he felt Sammy smile.

“Yeah, yeah,” he replied teasingly. “And anyway - I’d find a way to get to you.”

**Author's Note:**

> The next fic I post /probably/ won't be in this verse bc I crave validation and like two people regularly comment on these fics.. Yes I am that shallow. But also because I have an idea outside of this verse for something I wanna write.
> 
> Anyway, that said, please do comment if you enjoyed :)


End file.
